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how_to [2024/12/26 10:23] – external edit 127.0.0.1how_to [2024/12/31 08:31] (current) – [How to use the Framing Mode to create a Mosaic] tailspin
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-====== How To ======+{{ :screenshot_2024-12-26_at_6.00.26 am.png?nolink&200|}}====== How To ======
  
-===== How to make the sky background black in a Seestar image =====+===== Can I browse targets in the app without connecting to the Seestar? =====
  
-Keep in mind that the night sky is not pure black.+You sure can. It's a great way to plan a session in advance.
  
-If you use PixInsight:+Click Sky Atlas in the bottom menu of the home page, then click on the magnifying glass at the top of the icons on the right side.
  
-  * Stack in WBPP with local normalization. +{{anchor:bahtinov:}} 
-  * Use ABE with degree 1 to handle linear gradients such as moon or other LP. +===== How to use a Bahtinov mask to check focus =====
-  * If you have to use a higher degree, you should know why. +
-  * If you have a relatively complex scene and ABE just isn't cutting it, go the whole hog and use GraXpert. +
-  * Use NoiseXterminator or GraXpertDenoise with enthusiasm. +
-  * If the background is particularly colourful after all that, RangeMask the shadows and throw some desaturation and darkening in with curves. That's sorta a last resort, but also a fair way to guarantee imposing your will on the image.+
  
- +If your Bahtinov mask was made for the Seestar then it should fit into the lens opening in the same way as the orange solar filter.
-Whatever subsequent processing you do, do not expand contrast within the shadows. Be careful of curves, CLAHE and DarkStructureEnhance - these are good and favourable tools when used in the right places with care, but will exacerbate noise or other quantization effects at the blackpoint. +
- +
-Be mindful of the order in which you do initial steps. Either ABE(1)+NX or GX+GXDenoise should be the first two things you do while linear (before stretching). +
- +
- +
-===== How to fix Pixinsight ImageSolver when it says it can't find enough stars ===== +
- +
-Two tips: 1) Run BlurXterminator first so the stars aren't egg shaped, which confuses things, and 2) if you're using drizzle, make sure you adjust your sensor pixel size (e.g. 2X drizzle means your pixel size should be divided by two, 3X by 3, etc.). +
-\\ +
-\\ +
- +
- +
-===== How to use a Bahtinov mask ===== +
- +
-If the Bahtinov mask was made for the Seestar then it should fit into the lens opening in the same way as the orange solar filter.+
    
-But before you place it over the lens, do two things. First, go into the Seestar tutorials by tapping on the "Tutorial" icon in the upper right corner of the Home screen. +But before you place it over the lens do two things:
- +
-{{ :screenshot_2024-06-14_at_10.38.25 am.png?nolink&200|}}Then scroll down to the section titled "Turn On Manual Focus". Read and follow the instructions in the tutorial to turn on manual focus. +
  
-Then read the tutorial section titled "Find & Shoot Objects" and follow the instructions to find a field of view that contains one or more bright stars more or less centered in the field of view.+1. Tap the "Tutorial" icon on the Home screen and then look at the Turn On Manual Focus tutorial.
  
 Then tap the AF icon at the lower right side of the screen. Once auto focus says that it has finished, check on the left, lower side of the screen. You should see the "Manual Focus" panel. Take note of value displayed there. This is the proper focus setting that the Seestar has determine with it's autofocus algorithm. Moon, Solar, Planetary, and Scenery each may have a different focus point. Then tap the AF icon at the lower right side of the screen. Once auto focus says that it has finished, check on the left, lower side of the screen. You should see the "Manual Focus" panel. Take note of value displayed there. This is the proper focus setting that the Seestar has determine with it's autofocus algorithm. Moon, Solar, Planetary, and Scenery each may have a different focus point.
    
-Next, carefully insert the Bahtinov focus mask in front of the Seestar lens and observe that now the individual stars shown on your phone or tablet will appear to have an X across them. The Bahtinov focus mask causes diffraction spikes to form from the star images. In addition there will be a diffraction spike that splits the X somewhere.+2. Next, carefully insert the Bahtinov focus mask in front of the Seestar lens. Don't get fingerprints on the lens! Once installed observe that the individual stars shown on your phone or tablet will appear to have an X across them. The Bahtinov focus mask causes diffraction spikes to form from the star images. In addition there will be a spike that splits the X somewhere.
  
-The goal is to center the diffraction spike so it crosses exactly in the center of the X. If if it doesn't, use the manual focus panel buttons to adjust the focus so that the spike is perfectly centered across the X.--- //[[murrayfoster3@gmail.com|Murray Foster]] 2024/06/25 10:59//+The goal is to center the diffraction spike so it crosses exactly in the center of the X. If it doesn't, use the manual focus panel buttons to adjust the focus so that the spike is perfectly centered across the X.--- //[[murrayfoster3@gmail.com|Murray Foster]] 2024/06/25 10:59//
  
-Finally, remove the mask! I know a guy who has forgetten to do that twice (me).+Finally, remove the mask! I know a guy who has forgotten to do that twice (me).
  
 {{anchor:mosaic:}} {{anchor:mosaic:}}
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   * Important Notes   * Important Notes
  
-The process can take several hours depending on your selected frame size +The process can take several hours depending on your selected frame size. For best results, avoid imaging when your target passes through your zenith (straight up). The final mosaic can cover an area up to 6 times the width of the moon
-For best results, avoid imaging when your target passes through zenith (10 minutes before and after) +
-The final mosaic can cover an area up to 6 times the width of the moon+
  
 {{anchor:astroedit}} {{anchor:astroedit}}
-===== How to edit an image using AstroEdit iOS app=====+===== How to use AstroEdit to post-process images===== 
 +AstroEdit is in Early Access Beta* phase. If anything unusual happens or you don’t like the way something works, please send an email to help@astroeditapp.com explaining what you were doing when the issue occurred. As we make improvements, new versions will be released free through the Apple App Store. To paraphrase former President Kennedy, ” We do this not because it is easy, but because we thought it was easy.”
  
-**Open** (top menu): +====Top Menu==== 
-Tap leftmost icon and select an image to process+Load Image: 
 +Tap the leftmost icon and select an image to process. 
 +Crop: 
 +Trim the image to reduce size or remove ugly stacking and field rotation artifacts 
 +Save: 
 +Once you’re happy with your edits, tap the down arrow box in the top menu. You will save a new version of the original image (which won’t be changed).  
 +Un-do/Re-do:
  
-Bottom menu+Tap left arrow icon to undo your last edit. Tap right arrow icon to redo edit   
 +User guide: 
 +App version and this user guide.
  
-**Tweak**:\\ +====Bottom menu==== 
-__Black__ Adjust the darkest parts of your image\\ +Tweak: 
-(Note: the night sky is not pure black!).\\ +• Exposure – adjust overall brightness 
-__Bright__ Control the overall brightness \\ +• Saturate – Enhance the color 
-__Saturate__ Enhance the color\\ +• Temp – Create a warmer or cooler look 
-__Temp__ Create a warmer or cooler look\\ +• Tint – Refine hue by adding white 
-__Tint__ Refine specific hues\\+• Hue – Changes base pure color
  
-**Curve**:\\ +====Curve:==== 
-The histogram displays the distribution of dark (left) and bright (right) pixels.\\ +The histogram displays the distribution of dark (left) and bright (right) pixels. The higher the peak the more pixels are that brightness. Click a point and drag the slider for precise brightness adjustment. Point 1 will brighten the left 20% of the curve. Point 5 will brighten the right 20% of the curve 
-The higher the peak the more pixels are that bright.\\ +Wavelet: 
-Click and drag the numbered points for precise adjustment\\ +Enhances the crispness of details. Control the amount of sharpening for each layer with the slider. “S” sharpens tiny details such as stars. “XXL” sharpens large details such as entire nebulae
-Point 1 will brighten the first 20% of the curve \\ +
-Point 5 will brighten from 80% to 100% of the curve \\+
  
-**Wavelet**:\\ +====AI:==== 
-Enhance the crispness of details.\\ +The slider controls how much of an effect is applied 
-Control the amount of sharpening for each layer with the slider\\ +  * AI Noise removes noise artifacts (grain) 
-Fine sharpens tiny detail such as stars\\ +  * AI Star reduces/removes stars 
-Coarse sharpens large details such as entire nebulae\\+  * AI Gradient removes gradient lights 
 +  * AI Satellite removes streaks created by satellites and aircraft
  
-**Denoise**:\\ +====Short Cuts:==== 
-Eliminate unwanted grain for a clearer image\\ +  * Tap the screen and hold to show the original image. Release to continue editing 
-Be careful, too  much denoise removes details\\ +  * Double-tap the screen to cancel all edits and restart from the original image 
-Fine denoise removes small noises artifacts\\ +  * Use 2-finger-spread to zoom 
-Coarse denoise removes large noise artifacts\\ + 
-AI tries to fix everything but some tweaks with other controls might help\\+====Workflow==== 
 +A typical workflow will start with an overall brightness adjustment perhaps with help from the curve tool to brighten just parts of the image. Gradients, if any, will typically be revealed so fix that and then use the AI Denoise to remove grain. Some images have so many stars they distract from your target, so you can use the AI Star tool to reduce or even remove them. Finally, you may want to tweak the color and saturation before saving your image to the Apple Photos library. 
 + 
 +---- 
 + 
 +*This early access beta software is a pre-release version of AstroEdit that we’re making available to you before its official launch. It represents a development stage where the software is feature-complete but may contain bugs and performance issues. The main purposes of early access beta software are: 
 + 
 +  * Gathering user feedback and bug reports 
 +  * Testing features with real users 
 +  * Identifying usability issues 
 +  * Refining the product before the final release 
 + 
 +As refinements are made, new versions will be available free on the Apple App Store for current users and $4.99 for new users. 
 + 
 +===== How to make the sky background black in a Seestar image  using PixInsight ===== 
 + 
 +Keep in mind that the night sky is not pure black. 
 + 
 +If you use PixInsight: 
 + 
 +  * Stack in WBPP with local normalization. 
 +  * Use ABE with degree 1 to handle linear gradients such as moon or other LP. 
 +  * If you have to use a higher degree, you should know why. 
 +  * If you have a relatively complex scene and ABE just isn't cutting it, go the whole hog and use GraXpert. 
 +  * Use NoiseXterminator or GraXpertDenoise with enthusiasm. 
 +  * If the background is particularly colourful after all that, RangeMask the shadows and throw some desaturation and darkening in with curves. That's sorta a last resort, but also a fair way to guarantee imposing your will on the image. 
 + 
 + 
 +Whatever subsequent processing you do, do not expand contrast within the shadows. Be careful of curves, CLAHE and DarkStructureEnhance - these are good and favourable tools when used in the right places with care, but will exacerbate noise or other quantization effects at the blackpoint. 
 + 
 +Be mindful of the order in which you do initial steps. Either ABE(1)+NX or GX+GXDenoise should be the first two things you do while linear (before stretching). 
 + 
 + 
 +===== How to fix Pixinsight ImageSolver when it says it can't find enough stars ===== 
 + 
 +Two tips: 1) Run BlurXterminator first so the stars aren't egg shaped, which confuses things, and 2) if you're using drizzle, make sure you adjust your sensor pixel size (e.g. 2X drizzle means your pixel size should be divided by two, 3X by 3, etc.). 
 +\\ 
 +\\
  
-**Crop**: (top menu)\\ 
- Trim image to reduce size or remove stacking and field rotation artifacts 
  
-**Save** your image (top menu):\\ 
-Once you're happy with your edits, tap the down arrow box in the top menu\\ 
-You will save a new version of the original image (which won’t be changed)\\ 
how_to.1735237427.txt.gz · Last modified: 2024/12/26 10:23 by 127.0.0.1

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